Ohio Governor Signs Important Self-Defense Legislation

On Monday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed into law Sub. Senate Bill 199—an NRA-backed self-defense measure that will benefit all of the state’s law-abiding gun owners.

This law is another step forward in protecting the Second Amendment rights of active-duty military members, employees and law-abiding Ohioans across the Buckeye State. Among other things, the law will exempt active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces from the concealed-carry permit license requirements. Sub. SB 199 will also allow an employee to store a firearm in his or her locked vehicle without fear of employer retribution.

The amended language will also enhance law-abiding citizens’ right to self-defense by expanding the list of places where citizens can legally carry concealed firearms. The law will take effect 90 days after the signing.

Dems Fail To Recruit “Faithless Electors” To Stop Trump

Despite a coordinated campaign to convince “faithless electors” to break tradition (and sometimes the law) to change their votes, Donald Trump cruised to victory Monday in the Electoral College, easily surpassing the 270 votes needed to confirm his victory.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson vowed yet again to ban semi-automatic firearms such as the AR-15, along with magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, through legislation he plans to push in Olympia next year, King5.com reports. Ferguson said he’s “committed to proposing this every legislative session until it does pass.”

Ferguson made a similar pledge in September, when he used the July murder of three teenage party-goers in Mukilteo, Wash., as justification for his ban. The accused killer, who passed a criminal background check to purchase the apparent murder weapon, pleaded guilty to the murders on Monday, so Ferguson was out grabbing headlines again.

According to the FBI, over the past five years, fewer than three murders per year—or about 1.5 percent of all murders—have been committed with rifles of any kind in Washington state. In other words, even if murderers obeyed Ferguson’s gun ban, it still wouldn’t affect almost 99 percent of all murders in Washington. We must remain just as committed to defending our right to defend ourselves as Ferguson is to taking that right away.

Appeals Court Clarifies Missouri Airport Carry Law

A recent ruling by the Missouri Court of Appeals states that gun owners with a concealed-carry license can now carry their firearm onto airport parking lots and into the airport. (Guns still cannot be taken through security, however.)

The ruling clarifies a Springfield ordinance that bans guns on airport property unless you’re a member of law enforcement or have written authorization. “The Second Amendment, given this case, would trump that ordinance,” said local attorney Adam Woody.

Matt Fry, partner at Rosenblum and Fry law firm, has represented many citizens who had forgotten they had a gun on them when they entered the airport. Each was charged with unlawful use of a weapon. Fry says this new ruling will rectify that.

“If you carry a firearm into Lambert, you can be asked to leave, possibly subject to a fine—but you can't be arrested and charged for unlawful use of a weapon if you are a concealed-carry permit holder,” he noted.

Armed Homeowner Stops Attack On Brother

On Monday morning around 2:30 a.m., there was a knock on the door of a residence in a quiet Lubbock, Texas, neighborhood. When a male resident asked who was there, no one answered. Then there was a second knock—followed by the sound of gunfire and the door being kicked in.

The victim was attacked by one of two intruders, who was striking him with the butt of a gun as he tried to crawl to safety. The commotion woke the victim’s brother, who told his wife to call 911 and then grabbed his own firearm. When the homeowner arrived in the kitchen, he fired a single round at the suspect who was standing over his brother. As the second man fled, the two brothers disarmed and detained the first intruder.

Police and EMTs arrived to arrest 27-year-old Adrian Lee Hernandez on burglary charges and to transport him to the hospital. His accomplice remains at large.